Hello and how are you?
Sunday the 6th of September, we host west London neighbours Chelsea at the Emirates. KO local time is 4.30pm. Weather will be humid; 26° ( feels like 28°) sunny but with some cloud and 0% chance of rain.
To say it, I’m sure is insulting to other teams, but this feels instinctively like this match is our first real challenge this season?
Chelsea look determined and have enhanced their squad that looks as if it turned two green eyes upon our celebrations at the end of last season and said: “we want that too!” and at this strange early stage of the season they look potentially likely? But who knows? The darkness of autumn and winter are fast approaching plus a massive influx of games…and what seems clear now in the last of summer will later fade in the fogs of football life, especially when the clocks go back.
This may well be a test of depth for us squad-wise as Timber! and Saliba are crocked and Bruno G, Dec, and Mosquera are all at this minute on the maybe-knackerd list.
For Chelsea, Henderson and Palestra are out and Caicedo is doubtful. But come KO time, who knows who might be suddenly resurrected from the Krank-crypt and be able to play?
Trouble is if we lose this one, it could get over analysed and “we’re all doomed ” will be echoing out from the bot farms to the glee of some until our next match nabs our critical thinking?
If we win, could it instil a dumb sense of hubris? Sure and steadfast plus fire and skill, may well be the best formula in such a clash, where it’s obviously Chelsea are looking to overtake us and make for the top…
Anyway, should be an exciting match and it will be interesting to see how certain players like Konsa fit in?
I contacted Statto HQ, and they calculated on their fingers these figures: Arsenal have a 56% chance of winning and Chelsea have a 19.4% chance of grabbing the headlines.
Next up we are off to Italy and to the city where pizza was invented, Napoli, for the first of our Champions League matches this season. May your force be with you. COYG!
Mills
Positively Arsenal 
Chelsea are in their two games so far showing real signs of Alonso’s football, when he won the title with Bayer Leverkusen it was a real we will score more than you game plan, they didn’t worry about letting in goals, they just kept going for it. Now they have so far not met a defence like ours, so it will be interesting to see if we can nullify them like we do with so many, and then pick them off.
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Excellent Mills,
Yep alonso definitely wants the chelsea charge and has been allowed to do it in his first couple of games.
pedro always causes the CB’s problems with his battling hold up play and our midfield will have to steal the ball off him. Their two floating tens are full of talent and the idea will be to stop the flow to them.
We know their midfield is weak especially if caicado doesn’t make it and their flying wingbacks aren’t natural defenders either, so we have plenty of places to exploit.
We have to stop them scoring early and then stifle the game so we have it in a vice like grip. This is a game where we need to be practical not pretty.
If we play it our way, we can frustrate their front three and they are likely to lash out.
Squad wise we know we are better and if we squeeze over the line in this one, many will be scared COYG.
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Raya
White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori
Rice, MLS, Odegaard
Saka, Havertz, Tzolis
Subs: Kepa, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Bruno, Merino, Dowman, Gyokeres, Madueke, Eze
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FT: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
Havertz and Odegaard with the goals that see us come from behind to keep our 100% record this season going. Tzolis good today
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so this weekend our mens team won, our womens team won and our U18’s team won. oh and our u16’s team won too
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Great to have an ARSENAL weekend Ed,
After all the years of moaning about Mikel being too conservative when we took a goal lead, I was actually thinking we weren’t conservative enough after MO’s goal.
Managers just can’t win.!
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Arsenal now have 4 away games in a row,
Napoli in CL
Sunderland in EPL
Ipswich in CC
Brighton in EPL
so I’d expect a bit fo rotation on Wednesday v Napoli, I know we are restricted at to what we can do at the back, with probably only Hincapie for either Gabriel or more likely Calafiori. Maybe if Mosquera is fit we could rest White, its a dangerous game to play him in a lot of games in a row. In midfield we have the luxury of being able to change any or even all 3, with Zubimendi, Bruno G, Merino and Eze all options. We could also change any or all 3 of the forwards, with it probably smart to leave out at the very least Havertz. Gyokers, Madueke, Dowman and Eze all options.
We have built a high quality squad, now Arteta needs to learn to use it by choice and not leave it till injuries force changes.
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does any of the rest of you older Gooners see a lot of Brian Marwood in the way Tzolis plays.
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Tzolis is really like Marwood, maybe the only difference being Brian didn’t need to beat a man to get his crosses in. He would bend it round the defender much like Beckham did later on.
I noticed today he was coming inside more, obviously he is coached not to always go down the line. He still struggles with the ruggedness of the PL and may need to bulk up a bit. I think he should of been taken off with about twenty minutes to go as he was definitely struggling.
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It was noticeable just how much the officials missed today. They certainly would have been under more pressure if the ref would have got his book out correctly. Palmer and Pedro could have both gone and some of their rotational fowling was ridiculous.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game where the officials missed so many corners. Obviously that could have a major effect on the game.
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A very pleasing result, though I spent most of the second half expecting it to end 2-2, especially when our attackers were playing as if we were already 4 goals to the good. We do have a tendency to get a bit over fancy at times., but fortunately we had Raya to save the day.
Very little was made by the pundits of the rotational fouling, nor of Palmer’s transgressions, but of course a huge amount about Gabriel kicking Martinez and Rice clipping heels with Rogers. Those comments will not go unnoticed by future refs.
And given the tendency of VAR to get involved when nobody much wants it to, I can’t for the life of me understand why it isn’t used to check corners.
I like the directness Tzolis brings and his readiness to get the ball into dangerous areas.
And flowers too to Maitland-Niles.
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New post is up.
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